Sleeping under the Mountain

I spent most of this week at the annual Māori Librarians conference in Rotorua.  We stayed in a beautifully carved whare on the marae at the local Polytec. I managed to nab a sleeping spot underneath the poe carved in Taranaki style, all curvy and with the pointy head that honours Mt Taranaki.  Lots of great sessions but one of the highlights was listening to one of the master carvers that Rotorua is famous for, particularly surrounded by work like this.